The present application relates to an illumination arrangement, a multiple light module, a luminaire and the use thereof.
One object of the present application is to provide an illumination arrangement which emits light having a particularly homogeneous luminance distribution, which light, in particular, can be optically imaged particularly well.
A further object of the present application is to provide a luminaire comprising an illumination arrangement of this type, a multiple light module and a use of the illumination arrangement, of the luminaire and of the multiple light module, respectively.
An illumination arrangement is specified. The illumination arrangement comprises a plurality of light-emitting semiconductor components arranged in a row, a diffuser, which is illuminated by the light-emitting semiconductor components during operation of the illumination arrangement, and two mutually opposite, reflective longitudinal side faces, between which the row of light-emitting semiconductor components is arranged.
The diffuser intermixes light emitted by the semiconductor components during operation. In particular, it scatters light emitted by the semiconductor components during operation. It has a light coupling-out area remote from the semiconductor components. The two mutually opposite, reflective longitudinal side faces run perpendicular or obliquely with respect to the light coupling-out area of the diffuser and reflect at least part of the light emitted by the light-emitting semiconductor components during operation in the direction toward the light coupling-out area.
In the context of the present application, the expression “arranged along a row” encompasses in particular embodiments in which the light-emitting semiconductor components succeed one another in a main extension direction. By way of example, the light-emitting semiconductor components are arranged linearly or as a zigzag chain. An arrangement of the light-emitting semiconductor components along an (imaginary) curved line is also conceivable.
In one advantageous configuration, the illumination arrangement has two mutually opposite transverse side faces, which run perpendicular or obliquely with respect to the longitudinal side faces and the light coupling-out area, and a carrier opposite the diffuser.
The transverse side faces, the longitudinal side faces, the diffuser and the carrier preferably partly or completely enclose an interior space in which the light-emitting semiconductor components are arranged. To put it another way, the transverse side faces, the longitudinal side faces, the diffuser and the carrier form a luminous box with an interior space in which the light-emitting semiconductor components are arranged. The longitudinal side faces and/or the transverse side faces are preferably arranged perpendicular to the light coupling-out area; by way of example, the luminous box is a parallelepiped.
In one advantageous configuration, the longitudinal side faces are formed in diffusely reflective fashion. The reflectance of the longitudinal side faces, at least for the light which is emitted by the light-emitting semiconductor components and impinges on the longitudinal side face, is preferably greater than 90% and particularly preferably greater than 94%.
With the illumination arrangement, a particularly homogeneous luminance distribution can advantageously be obtained at the light coupling-out area of the diffuser.
In one preferred configuration, at least one of the light-emitting semiconductor components comprises an optical device, in particular a lens, which has a radiation exit area having a concavely curved partial region and a convexly curved partial region, which at least partly surrounds the concavely curved partial region. Preferably, the optical device has an optical axis which particularly preferably runs through the concavely curved partial region of the radiation exit area. In one advantageous configuration, the radiation exit area is embodied rotationally symmetrically with respect to the optical axis.
The intensity of the light which is emitted by the semiconductor component during operation and which is emitted from the semiconductor component at an angle to the optical axis is advantageously increased in comparison with the intensity of the light which is essentially emitted along the optical axis. The area illuminated by the light-emitting semiconductor component is advantageously enlarged with the optical device. Preferably, the maximum angle of emergence of light from the semiconductor component with respect to the optical axis is at least almost 90°. The number of semiconductor components which illuminate a predetermined location of the diffuser and/or of a longitudinal side face is therefore particularly large if one of the light-emitting semiconductor components, but preferably a plurality, in particular all, of the light-emitting semiconductor components have such an optical device. In this way, the number of light-emitting semiconductor components whose light is superimposed at a location of the diffuser is advantageously increased, such that the light emitted by the light coupling-out area is particularly homogeneous.
In a further configuration of the illumination arrangement, the illumination arrangement comprises a light-emitting semiconductor component which during operation, emits light having a spectral distribution which brings about a red, orange, yellow, green, blue or white color impression.
In one advantageous configuration, a first one of the light-emitting semiconductor components emits light having a first spectral distribution during operation, and a second one of the light-emitting semiconductor components, which is adjacent to the first semiconductor component, emits light having a second spectral distribution, which is different from the first spectral distribution, during operation.
In one advantageous development of this configuration, the illumination arrangement comprises at least one group of four light-emitting semiconductor components succeeding one another along the row, said group comprising one semiconductor component which emits red light, one which emits green light, one which emits blue light and one which emits white light. A particularly high color rendering quality, for instance a particularly high color rendering index, is obtained in this way. As an alternative, the semiconductor component emitting white light can also be omitted, such that each group has only three light-emitting semiconductor components.
In particular, the diffuser or the diffuser and the diffusely reflective longitudinal side faces intermix advantageously light from a plurality of the light-emitting semiconductor components which emit light having different spectral distributions, for example light of the first and of the second semiconductor component or light from at least two, but preferably all, semiconductor components of the group of light-emitting semiconductor components succeeding one another along the row.
In one advantageous configuration, the chromaticity coordinate of the light emitted by the light coupling-out area is adjustable, in particular by means of the energization of the light-emitting semiconductor components. The chromaticity coordinate is the color impression of the emitted light as represented in the CIE standard calorimetric system of the Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage of 1931.
In intermixing of the light emitted by the light-emitting semiconductor components is advantageously obtained by means of the reflective longitudinal side faces, by means of the diffuser and, if appropriate, also by means of the optical device(s), such that the light emitted by the light coupling-out area has a uniform chromaticity coordinate.
In a further advantageous configuration, the illumination arrangement has, at least one end of the row of light-emitting semiconductor components, a transverse side face which is illuminated by at least the semiconductor component arranged at the end of the row and which is intentionally formed such that it is absorbent for a light emitted by the semiconductor component.
The transverse side face which is intentionally formed such that it is absorbent reflects for example 30% or less, preferably 15% or less, particularly preferably 5% or less, of the light which is emitted by the semiconductor components and impinges on said side face. By way of example, the absorbent transverse side face is an area of an absorber which is produced from a dark, in particular black, material or a dark, in particular black, material composition or is provided with such a material or material composition.
In addition or as an alternative, in a further advantageous configuration, the reflectivity of at least one of the longitudinal side faces in an edge region of the illumination arrangement is lower than the reflectivity of the longitudinal side face in a central region of the illumination arrangement. The edge region comprises in particular the absorbent transverse side face. By way of example, the reflective longitudinal side face in the central region of the illumination arrangement has a reflectivity of 90% or more, preferably of 94% or more. In the edge region, a minimum reflectivity of the longitudinal side face is less than or equal to 50%, preferably less than or equal to 30%, particularly preferably less than or equal to 15%. In one advantageous development, the reflectivity of the longitudinal side face in the edge region increases continuously or in stepped fashion in the direction toward the central region.
By way of example, the longitudinal side face is provided with an absorbent material or an absorbent material composition in the edge region. In one advantageous configuration, the absorbent material or the absorbent material composition is applied in the form of absorbent structural units. Preferably, the density and/or the size of the absorbent structural units in the edge region decreases continuously or in stepped fashion in the direction toward the central region. The structural units can, for example, be dots (like circles and/or squares) and/or stripes.
Expediently, at least one of the light-emitting semiconductor components, preferably a plurality of the light-emitting semiconductor components, for example two or three semiconductor components, but in particular not more than five semiconductor components, is/are arranged in the edge region.
The absorbent transverse side face and/or the longitudinal side face(s) having a reduced reflectivity in the edge region reduce the risk of light from the light-emitting semiconductor components arranged in the edge region not being sufficiently intermixed with light from other semiconductor components, which are arranged for example in the central region. In particular, the risk of the color impression of the light emitted by the illumination arrangement in the edge region deviating from the color impression of the light emitted by the illumination arrangement in the central region is reduced. To put it another way, the risk of the occurrence of a so-called color fringe in the edge region of the illumination arrangement is reduced.
Preferably, the value and/or the change of the reflectivity of the longitudinal side face in the edge region is adapted to the luminous flux emitted by the semiconductor component(s) arranged in the edge region during operation.
In one advantageous configuration, the light emitted by the light coupling-out area of the illumination arrangement has an at least approximately Lambertian intensity distribution. In particular, in the case of a Lambertian intensity distribution, the luminance is independent of the viewing direction. In this case, the luminous intensity decreases with the cosine of the angle between viewing direction and surface normal of the light coupling-out area.
In a further advantageous configuration, the light emitted by the illumination arrangement essentially has the same chromaticity coordinate at every location of the light coupling-out area; in particular, no local variation and/or fluctuation of the chromaticity coordinate of the light coupling-out area can be resolved by the human eye.
In a further advantageous configuration, the illumination arrangement has a beam shaping device disposed downstream of the light coupling-out area. The beam shaping device comprises for example a lens, a reflector, in particular a mirror, and/or a diffraction grating. Preferably, the beam shaping device has a cylinder- or cylinder-segment-shaped geometry. In one configuration, the center axis of the cylinder is running parallel to the light coupling-out area and preferably also parallel to the row of the light-emitting semiconductor components. The beam shaping device preferably alters the angular distribution of the radiation emitted by the light coupling-out area.
The illumination arrangement can contain at least one further light-emitting semiconductor component which is not arranged in the row. By way of example, two or more rows of light-emitting semiconductor components run parallel to one another. Preferably, however, the illumination arrangement has a larger number of light-emitting semiconductor components in a direction of the row than a direction perpendicular to the row. It then has the form of a light string. In one configuration, a plurality of illumination arrangements are arranged in a series in order to extend the light string. In addition or alternatively, a plurality of illumination arrangements are arranged alongside one another in a direction perpendicular or obliquely to the main direction of extension of the row of semiconductor components. In particular, they constitute a multiple light module comprising a plurality of illumination arrangements strung together and/or arranged alongside one another as individual light modules.
In one advantageous configuration of the invention, a luminaire has at least one such illumination arrangement. The illumination arrangement is particularly well suited to a luminaire since the light emitted by the light coupling-out area can be optically imaged particularly simply and flexibly. By way of example, the luminaire is a ceiling luminaire, a spotlight, for example a floodlight, a table luminaire or a headlight.
The illumination device or the luminaire is suitable for example for the direct or indirect illumination of a room, for instance for the interior illumination of a transport means, in particular of an aircraft cabin, or of a company building.